50 is Nifty!

This year it's the big one.  I 50.  I wanted to do something different.  So, I bought 50 sugar cookies from Cutler's Cookies to give away to 50 people at random.  Here's the note I gave with each one of them.  I had to do this on Friday as my actual birthday I would be working.  This was so much fun.  I stopped an UPS driver, a crossing guard, the clerk at 7-11 and many friends that I came in contact with that day.  It was so much fun and the best was watching the reactions when they had no idea what it was all about.  Some ate it, and many gave or shared theirs.  I will include the pictures I took.

You probably are aware that today is Friday the 13^th.  However, today it’s actually lucky.  I’m turning 50 next week and I wanted to do something a little bit different.  Rather than receiving gifts this year.  I wanted to do something that makes me happy.

So, I’m giving you this cookie.   You can choose to enjoy it, or you can give it away to someone you feel just might enjoy or need it more.

My only request is that if you decide to treat yourself, or if you give it away; you take a selfie and send it to me. 

Text:  801.979.5568 or email:  claytonmom@comcast.net

An Update on our Missionary

You will see that wherever he goes, he makes the most of it and is doing just great.  He has a new companion and found some new people to teach.  I love that he asks us to pray for his investigators, make me feel as if I'm right alongside him.  I love hearing from him.  He's doing so awesome!

New companion, same area! Hola! Well last week was a little different with all the companions that I had, but everything worked out and now I have a new companion named Elder May de Yucatan, Merida! He is a good Elder, and he is energetic and lots of fun, a lot of Elders left the zone, and many new faces arrived. We are excited to start a new change and get things rolling. This past Sunday, we had 5 investigators in church and  we will be having a baptism of three this Sunday! We are super excited. Sonia, Samantha and Alejandro will be going to be baptized. Its cool because its three generations, Sonia is the grandma, Samantha is the daughter, and Alejandro is the grandson. The Hermana Sonia was a reference from a member that sent us to her. About 5 weeks ago, we kneeled down said a prayer and we invited this member to think of someone who we could share our message with, it was a Saturday before fast Sunday, so we invited her to do it as a part of her fast and it was a miracle what occurred. We went back 4 days later and sent us to Sonia, another daughter answered the door and told us to come back the next day, so we did, I went back with someone else from the ward and we sang a hymn and asked Sonia some questions to get to know her and found out that her daughter, Samantha was in Rehab, she had been in for about 7 months, and she expressed her love for her daughter and cried. I talked about baptism, and she accepted the invitation. We promised that God was going to bless her and we set another date to come back, we went back, taught a lesson, and invited her to church, the first week she couldn't, but she said she would the next week. So she came to church, and when we went back after the week she had gone to church, she received news that her daughter was going to return home!!! It was sooo cool. She was crying and was so grateful. So Samantha has been home for about 3 weeks, and we met her when she had about 3 days in her house, we talked about the Restoration and she cried during the whole lesson. She said upon entering rehab, she was Atheist, and didn't want anything with religion, but with more and more time she prayed and wanted a sign from God. Over the period of 7 months, her testimony of prayer grew more and more, until her mom and told her that we had been coming by and she at first, didn't want to meet us, but she said that it was the will of God, and we met her and she knew we had been sent to meet her and to meet her mom. Ah man its soo awesome everything. The Lord prepares his people to receive us. Samantha has been  to church twice and her mom 4 times, and they will be baptized this Sunday with Alejandro! We are so excited for them, they are excellent people and I love them,. They recognize us as Representatives of Jesus Christ, and every lesson with them we feel the spirit. I am grateful for them! Oh and Joel is doing wonderful, he came again, and is excited to receive the priesthood. We started to teach his nephew, and he came to church yesterday! yay!! I am in a great area, and I am an awesome comp. I hope everything is going well with you all! love all of you!!

--

Elder Clayton

 Elder Gomez after some surgery.

Newest Comp...Elder May de Yucatan

2015 is Going to be Quite a Year

We had a wonderful start to the New Year.  We were able to go with friends to Joy Luck again.  Only this year it was come in, hurry and eat and then leave.  Usually we chat and stay for a long time, but this year seemed like they rushed us.  Many went to the movies or to play games.  Wayne and I went home to decide what to do and ended up, just staying there.  Life is certainly different with all the boys going their own directions.  Caleb was with friends, and Bridger was with Tori.  Who is Tori, you may ask.  Well, she will be our new daughter in law!!!  Isn't it great.  Bridger is getting married, AGH!!!! (Remember Father of the Bride when the little girl says that) We couldn't be more happy and thrilled for them both.  She is a doll.  Last summer Bridger went on an adventure in Minnesota to sell pest control.  To be honest it wasn't where I had hoped he would spend his summer.  Having only one child at home seemed so quiet.  However, now that he has found Tori, I am so grateful I didn't stand in his way, (not that he would have listened anyway).  First I was nervous about her being from Minnesota, however, turns out she is from here.  Raised in Vernal, UT and now her family lives in Willard, UT.  It's perfect. In March she will be coming back home to work and where they will stay.  We are all so excited and he is so happy.  It is what I have always prayed and hoped for and she is perfect for him.   But her you can see for yourself.  She is going and already fits right in.  Caleb loves her and of course we loved her from the first time we met.  June 27, 2015 can't come soon enough for all of us!  (but, we have to get Stetson home, first)

Here's some other pictures just for fun of what's happening at our house.  If anyone is still even reading this blog.  (it's a great journal, however)

 Brianne and I sending Max a b-day greeting from work.

 Bridger turns 23!  This will be his last b-day at home.  And it's just as it should be.

 We got a new dining table, Caleb was an added extra!

 Lots of our patients had parts in the production held at Legacy Prep Academy of the Wizard of Oz.
It was amazing and they all did such a great job with their awesome smiles shining on stage!

Yesterday the weather hit 70 degrees.  February 7th?  Sunroof open and loving it. 

 Ok, I did have the heater going, too!

December Happenings

Lots of fun and exciting things happen in December.  The week before Christmas is always fun as it is our anniversary.  This year marks our 25th.  Crazy to think that it has really been 1/4 of a century.  It's my cross over year, I have now been married longer than I was single.  We went to Quilted Bear to shop, (not Wayne's choice) and then dinner at Good Wood BBQ.  We were lucky enough to talk Caleb into joining us.  One day we will wish that we had someone to join us and so it was fun having him along.  Here's some pictures to show what was happening.  The best and most exciting was talking to Stetson on Christmas Day.  He was given about an hour to talk to us and it ended all to quickly.  I really miss his laugh and fun sense of humor.  However, he is loving it and it is going too quickly for him.  Enjoy...

Merry Christmas from the Clayton Family 2014

Hard to believe it is once again time to sit down and remember the past year and highlight those things that are meaningful and important to each of us.  Here's a recap.  We are very blessed.

Wayne: 

It's been a different year for sure.  After being diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis the end of 2013, it was a year of learning and steroids.  Those things are not fun and yet he did not complain.  He is now off the Prednisone and looking forward to hopefully feeling more like himself.  That is a drug that is so helpful and yet hard on the body.  He has traveled many places with his work and still enjoys all the many associations he has had with people all over the United States and Canada.  Regina, Boston, and probably one that was very dear to his heart was Nauvoo.  After serving in the Missouri Independence Mission many years ago, and with his pioneer heritage, going back to Nauvoo was a highlight and meaningful experience.  He still tries to hunt and fish whenever he can, and enjoys spending time with his boys on the streams or in the mountains.  It is definitely time well spent.

Tammy:

This year has been one of great learning for me, too.  I am very fortunate and blessed to have the BEST job @ Bountiful Orthodontics and enjoy the time I spend there.  I have made so many friends and everyday I wonder how I was so lucky to land such a gig.  I served as the Stake Camp Director for Young Women's and it was an experience that forever changed me.  I found that I was able to listen to the spirit and do exactly as He would have wanted.  I had a wonderful team that I would have never been able to pull it all together without.  These women are now some of my dearest friends.  I was grateful to have it be finished and yet sad, too.  I learned so much and my testimony grew even more.  I have also discovered that I really do like exercise.  I still get up five-six days a week and head to the place that changed my physical life.  Four Pillar Fitness has helped get me in probably the best shape of my life.

Bridger:

Highlight this year was probably going on the adventure this summer to Minneapolis and selling pest control.  He and his friend Ryan left at the end of May and stayed the entire summer.  It was an experience that was challenging and yet he had a great time and made a good amount of money to help him with school for the future.  He just started full-time at Deseret Mutual Insurance and will receive his associates very soon from Salt Lake Community College.  His plans are to continue working and then head to the University of Utah for his degree.  He is the one that caught the hunting/fishing gene most and really enjoys time he spends in the hills or fishing alongside his brothers and dad.  He is a great young man, and I can hardly believe he is all grown up.

Elder Stetson Clayton:

Is thriving and loving his mission in the Mexico Monterrey West.  You can always catch up with his adventures on his mission blog:  www.elderclaytoninmexico.blogspot.com  I update it every Sunday morning and it is always worth going there.  His smile says exactly how much he is loving it there.  It is my hope that he will want to come home which we are anticipating the end of May 2015, but who's counting...

Caleb:

in a word, is AMAZING. Oh, how I love this young man.  He turned 16 this past July and was able to get his license and purchase a car with his own $$$.  He was selected from our stake to attend the World Wide Jamboree coming up this June which will be held in Japan.  It's crazy.  It has quite a price tag attached and he is busily doing fund raisers, working at SpankyS and whittling down the fee.  He earned his Eagle Scout Award and was the youngest of our boys getting it at only 15.  He is so much fun, full of personality and really pretty dang funny.  We are grateful he is not too cool to hang out with us and we love spending time with him.

As you can see we have much to be grateful for.  However, we never forget all of you.  At this time of the year it is wonderful for the rest of the world to remember what we have known and love all the time.  I am grateful for my testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  As we celebrate his birth it is my hope that my gift to Him will be to live as He lived.  Trying to serve more, be kinder and #sharethegift

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  I hope it is a good one for you and yours!

Our Christmas Letter 2014

Due to having a few things tonight, I did not get our letter published on here.  Please come back, I will get it on after work on Monday.  Hopefully, you know that we are so grateful for all our family and friends.  And especially at this time of the year, it is best to remember what is most important.  It's just that all that other stuff gets in the way...

Please come back now, ya here!

Time Once Again to Catch Up on Life!

Well, I can't really say why I haven't written or posted in quite sometime.  I always keep Stetson's blog updated faithfully.  As well as, the Biggest Loser blog competition that run, so I guess when it comes to this one I sometimes am burned out and this is the last one to get finished.  So, today I am going to at least get the pictures on here of a few of the things that are worth mentioning in mine or our lives in the last little while. 

 Hard to believe that Caleb is old enough to be asked to the Sadie Hawkins dance at WX.  But, he did.  This is Jessieann who is a good friend of ours daughter and Caleb has gotten to know her quite well, she is also a senior.  Crazy, right?  He was excited to go and they dressed as lifeguards and sharks.  Friday night they went to a Haunted House and movie and then Saturday was dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, the dance and then rootbeer floats afterwards.  He had a good time and already thinking about who he might ask to the Christmas dance.  What, when did he grow up?

 In July 2015 Caleb will be going to the World Wide Jamboree held in Japan.  He is excited but along with this comes a pretty hefty price tag.  So, he has been doing fund raisers with the other boys that will be going, like a carwash at Dick's market one Saturday and then selling Dominos pizza cards.  These have been a really good deal actually.  We bought them for .20 each and sell them for $10 it's a buy one get one pizza with 16 pizza coupons on the cards.  He is working hard and so far on track for where he should be at this point.

 This is cute Gavin who I used to watch when he was just a little baby. We ran into him and took a picture awhile back.  He is such a handsome young man and it is sure fun to see these kids now that I was able to have in our home which kept me home with ours.  It was one of those things that I felt was a blessing for us and hopefully they felt the same.  These kids became a part of our family and we sure loved them as brothers.

This was such a fun experience.  The church was due for another full length film for the Legacy theater for the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and this time they discussed how many times so many of the members and others not of our faith are unable to come to Salt Lake and see what is there playing in that theater.  So, they decided to do a different film.  This time they would show what life is like for some of the members of the church and some of their stories.  In watching the documentary of how it all came to be, it was if they people were most definitely the ones who needed their stories to be told for the world to hear.  The one that we were lucky enough to meet is the one in the pictures.  This is Dawn Armstrong, the missionary mom.  Go figure I would feel close to her story of sending her boy on a mission, but it was her conversion story that was the real story.  She was a single mom who had him so very young and on her own started this journey, then had another baby and still unmarried, the father of this baby could not handle all of this and left.  This second baby suddenly somehow passed away and this young single mom was alone and in a convenience store and the clerk asked her if she was okay.  It was there that she broke down and then the rest of the story is told.  How Dawn felt as if our Father in Heaven knew exactly who she was and is and the missionary that baptized her is a friend of mine from the same gym I go to each morning.  He arranged that many of us were there to meet her and I had no idea her son, Anthony was already home from his mission.  It truly is such a great film and one that all should see to let the world know that the LDS or Mormon people are normal people, trying to live as their elder brother, even Jesus Christ did.  Loving their neighbor, trying to be kind and helping one another.  Then she tells how she feels that everyone has appointments and that hopefully people will keep theirs when they see these missionaries.  I couldn't hold back the tears several times, especially as I knew that I had already had one of my own and another still out there looking for those who had appointments to keep.  Thank you so much for making such a wonderful film for all to see the loving ways of our Father in Heaven.  Truly loved every minute of it!

One thing that has been so fun this year has been to go to the WX football home games.  They are doing so great.  They are 8-1 and are going to state, which I really think this may be the best they have ever done in all the years the school has been there.  It's fun to know a lot of the players being Caleb's buddies, or patients and to know the parents.  It really is like a good ole' fashion hometown football game.  Go Cats!!!

This is just a picture of where I am today.  I am still trying, hard as it is to finish this darn battle that I started almost exactly three years ago.  I am no longer worried about the number on that scale, although I wish it would change faster than it does.  I have had my blood work done, and have gotten the reports back which the numbers are fabulous.  I am probably in the best shape of my life.  I feel great and in just a couple of months I will turn 50.  It's crazy, but I am not so worried about being at a number that I am not sure will ever appear as much as I know that I can go into the regular store and buy something that I have never been able to do.  For this, I will keep going and continue.  I am grateful for the healthy body I have been given, it is not perfect, but it gets up in the morning and moves some are not lucky enough to say that.  What do I have to complain about.